In this Jan. 20, 2012, file photo, Glen Wood speaks during NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Charlotte, N.C. Glen Wood, patriarch of the famed Wood Brothers Racing team and the oldest living member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, has died after a long illness, in Stuart, Va. He was 93. “Its with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of team founder and family patriarch Glen Wood this morning,” The Wood Brothers posted on social media Friday morning, Jan. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

Glen Wood, the stock car racing pride of Virginia, scored 99 NASCAR Cup wins in a career that started in 1950. He and his brother Leonard are considered among the pioneers in the sport and played major roles in popularizing the sport in Southern California, a continent away from their native Virginia.

Following a lengthy illness, Glen Wood, who was the oldest living member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, died Friday at the age of 93.

“In every way, Glen Wood was an original. In building the famed Wood Brothers Racing at the very beginnings of our sport, Glen laid a foundation for NASCAR excellence that remains to this day,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. “As both a driver and a team owner, he was, and always will be, the gold standard. But personally, even more significant than his exemplary on-track record, he was a true gentleman and a close confidant to my father, mother and brother.

“On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I send my condolences to the entire Wood family for the loss of a NASCAR giant.”

FILE – In this Jan. 20, 2012, file photo, Glen Wood poses for photos as he arrives at the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Charlotte, N.C. Glen Wood, patriarch of the famed Wood Brothers Racing team and the oldest living member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, has died after a long illness, in Stuart, Virginia. He was 93. “Its with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of team founder and family patriarch Glen Wood this morning,” The Wood Brothers posted on social media Friday morning, Jan. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)

At one point, the Wood Brothers seemingly owned Southern California. With the legendary Dan Gurney behind the wheel, the team won five races on the Riverside road course, including a stretch of four straight events beginning in 1963. The team did not start in 1967 but returned to the winner’s circle in 1967 with Gurney driving.

It was at Ontario Motor Speedway where the Wood Brothers excelled, winning three of the nine races and placing second twice. A.J. Foyt won the first two races at OMS and David Pearson added another victory in 1976.

Gurney and Foyt were just two of the great drivers who worked for the Wood Brothers. The list of drivers – members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and a Who’s Who of the sport – include David Pearson, Junior Johnson and Cale Yarborough, Dale Jarret, Neil Bonnett, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader and Bill Elliott.

The team, the longest continuous Cup competitor, revolutionized the sport with quick pit stops that led to many victories

At the Indianapolis 500 in 1965, four Wood brothers – Glen, Leonard, Delano and Ray Lee – served as the pit crew for Jim Clark, the most glamorous Formula One driver of the day and the winner that day.

In 1998, despite a brief racing career that netted four wins, Wood was selected one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers. Nearly half of those honored – 20 in total – once drove for the Wood Brothers.

“The Wood Brothers race team, by any measure, has been one of the most successful racing operations in the history of NASCAR. Most importantly for our company, Glen and his family have remained loyal to Ford throughout their 69-year history,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford Motor Co.’s board of directors. “Glen was an innovator who, along with his family, changed the sport itself. But, more importantly, he was a true Southern gentleman who was quick with a smile and a handshake and he was a man of his word.”

Many in the NASCAR community took time to honor wood.

“Glen Wood sure lived a full life, a remarkable journey. His contributions to motorsports are tough to measure,” former driver and TV analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote.

Ray Evernham, a former crew chief, team owner and broadcaster, also praised Wood.

“One of the most respected men ever in our sport. The captain of the incredible Wood brothers legacy,” Evernham tweeted. “Always a smile, a handshake and a word of wisdom. Thank you for setting the standard of excellence in racing.”

Lou Brewster is a nationally recognized motorsports journalist who has staffed NASCAR and NHRA events since 1969. Has also staffed high school football, in five different states, since 1967. Has won several national awards in writing and breaking news.

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